“We are honored to bring our craft to this building that once bustled with the processing of local fruit,” says Michael Duarte of Popie Wines.

The new tasting rooms are open on Saturday and Sunday. Each tasting room at 3750 Taylor Road is artfully decorated, providing a unique ambiance. Visitors also get a chance to meet the winemakers—Duarte, David Brockman of Cristaldi, and Joe Ciotti of Ciotti Cellars—for a personalized experience.

Cristaldi Vineyards is based in Loomis. Besides its estate-grown wines, it produces estate olive oils. Cristaldi’s field-blended reds are a unique find.

Ciotti also is a small production winery in Placer County. It specializes in Cab, Cab Franc and old-vine Zinfandel, among others. Popie Wines’ owner has a long winemaking heritage. His father was a longtime Napa Valley grower, helping to provide grapes for such high-quality wines as Martha’s Vineyard by Heitz Cellers.

CASQUE WINES
Down the road from “3 Vigne,” Casque Wines opened their new winery production facility this fall. The winery on 3273 Swetzer Rd. also serves as a wine bar and tasting room from Thursday to Sunday.

Casque prides itself on small lots of hand-crafted Rhone and Bordeaux-style wines, according to Owners Mark Breunig and Kevin Stevenson.

LOOMIS BASIN BREWING CO.
Loomis is now home to the Loomis Basin Brewing Co., a microbrewery that opened last spring at 3277 Swetzer Rd., across from Casque. Loomis Basin Brewery makes and serves handcrafted premium ales to the communities in and around the Loomis Basin.

The microbrewery is a family affair: Jim Gowan and his wife, Jo, are joined by their son, Kenny, and his wife, Linda. They brew in the traditional English style that includes Pale Ale, IPA, and a Red ESB along with a seasonal Mandarin Wheat made with local mandarins.

An onsite tasting room is open from Tuesday to Saturday. El Matador Mobile Mex serves its fare on Thursdays, FireVine wood-fired pizza on Fridays, Mac Daddy Dogs are served on Saturdays.